Automatic valve-actuating mechanism



Feb- 24, l948- H. A. cARTwRlGHT ATOMATIC VALVECTUTING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 27, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 24, 1948 ,2,436,419 AUTOMATIC VALVE-FTUATIN G MECHANI Horace A. Cartwright, Galion, Ohio Application November 27, 1943, Serial No. 511,986

3 Claims.

Generally, this invention relates .to valve-actuating mechanism and, more specifically, the inventon is concerned with an improved mechanism for controlling the release of hot asphalt from a portable asphalt spraying machine of the type employed in highway construction and maintenance.

An important object of the invention resides in the provision of a valve-operating mechanism for use on asphalt spraying machines adapted to provide for an accurate lap at the ending of one stretch of asphalt application and the beginning of a second or later application.

Ordinarily, such portable asphalt spraying machines are formed to embody a container for the reception of heated asphalt and a pump mechanism for forcing the heated asphalt from the tank or container to a distributing device, known in the art as a spray bar. This spray bar is equipped with valve regulated nozzles, and when the valves are operated to open the nozzles, heated asphalt passes through the latter and is distributed uniformy and evenly on a road surface. However, the nozzle valves are actuated through a manual control, either from the drivers position on the machine or at the rear end thereof where the spray bar is located. When the valve controls are located in the drivers cab of the machine, consderable diiculty is encountered in preventing overlapping between continuing applications of the deposited asphalt on road surfaces. That is,

in a given operation, asphalt will be deposited on the roadway for a suitable distance and for Various reasons the application discontinued at a certain point, When the application is to be continued in the same longitudinal direction at a later time, itis necessary for the machine operator to operate the valves of the spray bar nozzles so that hot asphalt will be released on previously laid or deposited asphalt, a condition known as lapping. Any lapping of the two produces a thickened region which requires extra stone and this extra stone makes a hump or prominence in the road.

The highway departments of certain states require that paper be put down and the ilow of asphalt through the spray bar stopped when the bar is positioned over this paper. When this is done, the end of one application is terminated sharply at the edge of the paper. This application is then covered with stone and paper is put on top of the stone and the next application of asphalt is started on this paper, so that when the spray bar passes over the paper, the new applicatio'n 'of asphalt applications While this is an accurate method for obtainin a good joint between successive applications of asphalt, nevertheless, it requires the use of a considerable quantity of paper, time and labor, and the disposition of the used paper is also a matter of some importance.

With av spray bar of the positive shut-oli type, the hot asphalt is maintained right at the nozzles and when the'valves of such nozzles are opened, the application starts immediately. However, the spray bars should' be crossing the starting line at several miles per hour and it is virtually impossible for an operator, using a manual control, to time exactly the opening of the nozzle valves so that the second application will begin precisely in registration with the line of termination of a previous application.' Even experienced operators will miss this line by more than two or three inch-es. Either the applications overlap or there is left a bare streak on the roadway which necessitates hand spraying. Even when the controls for the nozzle valves are located at the rear of the machine and operated by a second attendant especially appointed for that purpose, the overlapping or non-lapping of the successive applications takes place. Y Y

The present invention, therefore, aims to vpro# vide an automatic system for operating the nozzle valves so that exceptionally close registration between successive applications of asphalt on a roadway may be obtained.

In accordance withvthe present invention, the nozzle valves of the spray .bar are simultaneously actuated to assume now-permitting or obstructing positions throughthe use of a pneumatlcally actuated control mechanism. In this mechanism, there is provided a fluid operated piston arranged in a cylinder, the piston having a linked connection with the operating cranks of the spray nozzle valves. Leading-to the opposite ends of the piston cylinder are air ow conductors which Vin clude a manually controlled valve by means of which air or other fluid pressure is applied to the piston to govern its direction of movement in opening and closing the nozzle valves, anV automatically operated valve being varranged in one oi' said uid conductors which, upon the opening thereof, operates the piston to open the nozzle valves, the -automatic valve being provided ywith a movable actuating lever adapted to be tripped or operated by encountering and striking a trip member positioned on the road surface at a se. lected location, so that upon the opening of the Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the road-positioned trip means for the automticfvalve; y Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken'through the asphalt-containing tank of thenspray( vehicle, and illustrating automaticcontro'lled apparatus for discontinuing asphalt fiw 'iwheh'a "lowf level of the asphalt within the tank exists;

Fig. 5 is a detail elevational view disclosing automatic mechanism'or l lifting the road posida iE can e .Pld in applying Het ld-likes uni'i'ilonsmateriaisito'road surfaces, althougho receivers may be", r is e'operation renal a lfluid "si retlddj i Lh ch'thefli'ea uifdjis discharged y bar ancrdi ribut'e'd over" underhenz'zlesis protie Iatter'carrying :tftheirouter ends present invenid`onductor I9 s y'provided ywith Aan nd""of which 'en- 7 rod rockstlieflevr 1,- causing thereby actuating lever 26. This lever has connected iii off center relation therewith one end of a coil spring 2'I, the other end of the spring being connected with a pin carried by a stationary bracket 2B. The lever 26 projects downwardly below the horizontal plane of the spray bar I, with the spring 21 exerting a force on said lever which maintains the gate valve 23 in itsposition of clo- 1 arresting fluid wfthiiouglr the conductor I9 in the direction of the cylinder I3. When the lever 26 is rocked in generally an upward direction, and maintained therein by the action jvci'ft'liefsprig g21, the valve 23 is opened permit- \ti'ng"iiuid to pass into the cylinder I3 and therein exert Apressure on the piston I2 to move the rod 'II outwardly. The movement of the piston the openin g ofthe nozzle valves 3 of the spray bar.

"To 'actuate the lever 26, I preferably use a wicket 29. 'The latter comprises a comparatively heavy metallic base `plate "pflr'om one 'en`d"`of which v'arises a bail-is' aped"'wicket 'element 3 I The upper'en" d"`of this element terminates, 'jas shownin-FigfZ, ina horizontal 'planelslig'htly above thatof thejl'o'wer end of the lever-26 when the "gate valve: '23"isA closed. The "wicket -is'man'- ually positioned on the roadway at or adiacent to thev line of termination A,of an initiallapplication` of "asphalt, The spraying 4machine is" then advanced towardtlie wicketat its'l 'normal spraying speed. '.The four-way valveis et so thatjair pressure exists'in the-'conductor 'I9 up "tothe gate valve 23, Whentne lower curved portion of the lever 2t contaets'tlie top'ofthewicket element,l the lever' 2t is oscillated on itspivotal mountingl "and maintained in its "elevated position by th'espring 21,"thus 'opening' the gate valve ZB'and'allowing "air 'to "pass 'into 'the"'cyl inderIS, producing, as aforesaid, the opening'of the rfrz'zle valves 3.

"As'the'ljis'tri finov'es'irf resiiisto air'pres'sie applied thereto'througmh the opening of 'theg'a'te valve, the air onthe'othensixde' of the piston passes lthrougljntlie conductor 2i), thepassageway I8` ofthe four-way valveY and is tlien'vente'd to the atmosphere. lhena given application or course ofjasphalt 'has been deposited on' the roadway, the operator,-byadjusting 'the four-way valve, shuts off the ow of air to the conductor I9 and permits'thecompressed air top assfrom the pipe line I4I throughy the passageway IB,-con ductorY 20 lto the: other end 1 of the :piston-causingreversal---in its direction of travel, rwhich reversal resultsinfthe'closing of thenozzlevalves 3. Theaindisplacedfbythe piston I2- duringfits stroke in closingvethef-nozzle valve passes through the gate valve, which 4is maintained 'openfby'lthe action yof Athe spring 21,and thence --into the passageway I1r of the four-way valve to"its' vent`22. A manual -operationm'ay then fbe vperformed to move the `lever "26 from yits f elevated position fof valveopening `'to its Vlower'ed-@position *of valve closure, thus finishing a given cycle of loperation.

It 'willloe 'noted that'this 'operationfi's' virtually automatic 'andfdoesnot depend nponfh'uman-coordination Tin fopeningor `closingv valves. It isf-for this reasonthat the .matching of successive applications' may be r'so'preci'sely fefected.

In the l'operation fof `Ls'u'c'h :spraying apparatus, it is Customary to Continue the *supply'of asphalt to the sprayflar until v'the Lentirev'clulantity of asphalt inffthe receiving tankfis about exhausted, this condition? being'ldetermin'ed :by noticing Ithe I therefore, to arrest spray bar, at .which time the valves of the nozzles are closed. "The'escape of air throughthe nozzles usually produces a whistling noise which is used fact that the asphalt lonsof asphalt will be present between the pump and the nozzles, although this quantity is subjectvto variation. This remaining material is under pressure created by the pump, and when theintake of the latter picks up air, a considerable quantity ofthe remaining asphaltis replaced by air before the latter reaches the nozzles. The air so trapped is subject to compression, and the amount of the compression is lost in the discharge of the fluid from the spray bar. Thus, even though the operator immediately closes the valves of the outlet nozzles of the spray bar as noise is noted, the last few the asphalt flow before the entrapped air in the asphalt is introduced into the pump.

When the asphalt within the tank, indicated at 35, reaches a low level, as at 36, there is produced in the region of the tank outlet 31 a vortex 38,

which results in the passage of air into the intake use of this vortex at the moment it is created to arrest material ow from the spray bar. This is preferably accomplished by providing a disk 40 on the lower end of a rod 4l, the latter being supported by a bracket 62 mounted Within the tank and an upper bearing 43. The rod is'provided xed collar dll, and a coil spring S5 is disposed merged in the material, the spring i5 becomes effective to elevate rod 4|.

actuate the four-way valve I 5 be connected to one end of a -wire or rod 5l? leadingto an operators position.

It will be seen that with the use of this construction, just as soon overcoming leanness on the roadway.

. said cylinder, a rod In a vfurther modification of` m'y invention, `as illustrated in Fig. 5, a mechanism is provided for lifting automatically the tripping wicket 30 frorn the highway after it has acted upon the control trigger 26 of the gate valve 23.

To accomplish the lifting of the wicket so that it may be carried along with the spraying vehicle without requiring manual attention, I employ a pivoted link 55 which is movably suspended from a stationary element 56 of the spraying machine.; The bottom of the link 55 has pivoted thereto,as at 5l, a bar 58. .This bar is normally elevated` by one or more strong coil springs 59, the latter being connected as at 60 with the member 56 and, when in a latched position, engages with a stationary bracket 6l. The bottom of the barl 58 carries a hook' 62 which, when the bar 58 is latched, as shown in Fig. 4, is disposed in the path of the' upper end of the bail 3|, so that as the vehicle moves forwardly, the upper portion of the bail 3l enters the hook 62 same may be carried along with the spraying vehicle.

The apparatus is comparatively simple and may be .applied readily to standard spray machines as an attachment or accessory. While I have described what I now deem to be certain preferred forms of the invention, it is obvious that the latter is subject to considerable further modication without departing necessarily from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In portable vehicle apparatus for distributing bituminous materials on road surfaces, a receiver for such materials having an outlet, a, spray 'bar communicating with the outlet, said bar being provided with a plurality of valve-controlled discharge nozzles, motion-transmitting means uniting the valves of said nozzles for simultaneous operation, a, cylinder, a, piston slidably mounted in movable with said piston and extending exteriorly of said cylinder for connection with said motion-transmitting means, means for delivering an operating I'luid under pressure to either end of said cylinder, said means including a manually controlled valve and an automatically operated valve, and a movable actuating lever depending from said automatic valve, said lever being disposed for physical engagement with a road-positioned trip device which is cooperative with said lever to effect the opening of said automatic valve while the apparatus is in linear motion on the road surface.

2. In a portable vehicle apparatus for distrlbut.. ing bituminous materials on road surfaces, a, receiver for such materials having an outlet, a spray bar communicating Iwith the outlet for the reception of said materials, a plurality of spaced outlet nozzles joined with said spray bar for the discharge of said materials therefrom, control valves for said nozzles, motion-transmitting means connected with said valves for effecting their simultaneous operation, and means for imparting movement to said motion-transmitting means including a depending lever disposed for engagement with a stationary road-positioned device upon movement of the vehicle apparatus thereover to move said valves to positions providing for the passage of bituminous material through said nozzles.

' 3.111 lrtable vehiclwmnunted apparatus for Y l materials on road sur faces, fa 1spray har formed for the reception of auch materials, vsaiclbar having a multiplicity of discharge outlets for said materials, valves con- I trolling the lflow of said materials `through -sald v outlets, and means actuated automatically during linear :movement of the apparatus `over a'xoadway for automatically opening said valves, said means including a-movable actuator adapted for-striking engagement with a road-positioned trip device when the apparatus is vin motion. :f HORACE .CARTWRIGHT.

REFERENCES cuan The following .references are of record vin the ille of this patent:

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